Thanks to Hollywood strikes, Vancouver Island director can finally make passion project

An independent film on Vancouver Island is getting a chance of being made because of twin strikes affecting unionized actors and writers in the United States.

An independent film on Vancouver Island is getting a chance of being made because of twin strikes affecting unionized actors and writers in the United States.

“It’s now or never,” says director David Bercovici-Artieda.

The Metchosin-based filmmaker says he’s spent decades in the industry forging relationships with other Canadian artists, who’ve become family. Since many of them aren’t working on bigger budget productions as a result of the strikes south of the border – there’s an opportunity here for non-profit projects like his to go ahead with some of the talent that’s not on the picket line.

“They don’t have a job. They have the time. So the artists create,” he says.

Bercovici-Artieda is about to start rolling on a project in Victoria – bringing a long-time vision to life.

He’s turning lessons from his Jewish father, who survived the Holocaust, into a story of compassion in a short film called The Fast Runner.

“As artists we have a responsibility,” he says. “I think that via this film we’re putting our two cents to make sure that we bring a little bit of hope and forgiveness and a little bit of love we all need,” he says.